Path of Exile

Keepers of the Flame arrives on October 31, and it brings a huge amount of content. Many players have been spending time in Path of Exile 2's early access build, but Grinding Gear Games continues to shape the original game with passion. The result feels like another reason to log in, choose a character, and start a new challenge. Keepers of the Flame follows up on the Breach league from years ago. Purple rifts, swarms of enemies, and a race to survive are back, but now with new twists. Players meet Ailith early in the campaign, and the presence of hiveborn creatures becomes clear right away.

Unstable Breaches appear across the world. Entering them means one thing: fighting. Clearing enough monsters stabilizes the breach and locks it down. Occasionally a massive Breach hand opens the way for Vruun, Marshal of Xesht. Defeating him permanently seals the breach and rewards brave players with massive loot. Deeper into the game, corrupted structures grow into Breach Hives. These areas hide Breachlords and must be raided, looted, and evacuated before Ailith destroys them. Escaping in time adds a thrilling layer of tension.

Loot chasers will find plenty to do. Ailith eventually leads players to the Monastery of the Keepers, where the Genesis Tree waits. The tree grows new currency, gear, and other rewards as players finish more breaches. Upgrading its branches opens inventory spaces, crafting bonuses, and PoE Item growth options. One of the most brilliant additions is the new Graft system. It is strange breach hands that fuses to your character's arm. They can grant passive bonuses or powerful skills that fill holes in a build. Sixteen Graft types exist, and there is room for a second one later for wild combinations.

The Genesis Tree also grows special PoE Currency: the Path of Exile Fouldborn Exalted Orb. It's works like a normal one, but it locks out weaker rolls, making it easier to chase strong stats. Rare equipment crafted by the tree can also be influenced to target specific modifiers. Unique PoE Items formed here sometimes mutate into Foulborn versions, gaining changed modifiers. These changes can be risky, but sometimes the result transforms an entire build idea.

Build variety increases even more with Bloodline classes. Major bosses unlock ten options. Bloodlines act as a secondary Ascendancy path, sharing points with the original Ascendancy. Players must decide how to split their points between both systems. A thoughtful approach can create some creative endgame PoE builds.

Not every feature comes from the past. Path of Exile 2 recently gained asynchronous trading, and now the original game receives it as well. Reaching Act Six unlocks access to Merchant tabs. Items placed inside can be purchased instantly by other players, even if you are offline. Gold acts as a currency sink, but the convenience is impressive. Plenty of players will likely use it to clear stash tabs without hassle.

Players who crave a challenge will face three new Uber Pinnacle bosses. Accessing these fights requires fragments from Tier 17 PoE map bosses. The fights twist older encounters into much harder versions, and rewards include rare items like Festering Resentment. Each attempt feels costly and intense.

There are also plenty of quality-of-life changes. Atlas Passive Tree points can be refunded with gold instead of special PoE Currency. Bestiary Orbs no longer matter, since beasts can be turned into Items for free from the Bestiary. PoE Items can be mass identified at an NPC in towns early on, without spending any Scrolls of Wisdom. Small changes like these add up over time, making the game smoother and less frustrating.

New Skill and Support gems round out the update. Conflagration caught attention thanks to fiery bolts falling from the sky, igniting chain reactions on the ground. Players can expect more options for clearing groups of enemies and spreading burning damage.

Keepers of the Flame packs story content, gear systems, crafting depth, and smart fixes that make old pain points fade away. Path of Exile continues to stand tall with strong new ideas and generous updates. When October 31 arrives, many players will return to Wraeclast, ready to light up every breach in their path.